Now's the time to invest in PC cables as Amazon's Basics range is even cheaper

By Jacob Ridley
published

I sort of regret buying four extra long display and USB cables at full price a month ago.

Amazon Basics cables on a blue background
(Image credit: Amazon)

Recently I took the plunge on not one, not two, but four extra long cables for my PC. I was in a bit of a pinch: I had to figure out a way to connect my dual monitors to my PC while using an adjustable height standing desk, as my meter-and-a-bit cables weren't close to cutting it. If I set my desk too high, I'd risk ripping my graphics card and motherboard ports right off the darn PC altogether.

Ultimately, I caved and ordered two extra long Amazon Basics DisplayPort cables and two extra long USB Type-B to Type-A cables. They didn't cost me a huge amount, however, if I had waited a little longer, I could've saved a little extra. Most of Amazon's Basic cables are on sale right now for Prime Early Access.

If you've been thinking you could make your own life a little easier with a longer cable run or want to shake up your whole PC setup, now's the time to do it. From DisplayPort and HDMI cables, to optical connectors, you can save a dollar or two with each purchase right now. That adds up if you're bulk buying a few like I was. Though similarly the last things I want to spend much money on are cables—they're just a bit boring, you know?

Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.4 cable | 6 feet | 4K@120Hz | $14.20

Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.4 cable | 6 feet | 4K@120Hz | $14.20 $10.49 at Amazon (save $3.71)
One of the bigger savings on Amazon's Basics range is on this 6-foot DisplayPort cable. This is rated to a bandwidth of 32.4Gbps, which is enough for 4K at high refresh rates and even 8K. I can attest to the quality of the cable generally: It's super well built, and you don't have to fiddle with the usual DisplayPort clips like you would most others. The only thing to consider is the width of the cable itself. These cables are thick.

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Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.2 cable | 6 feet | 4K@60Hz | $8.07

Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.2 cable | 6 feet | 4K@60Hz | $8.07 $5.26 at Amazon (save $2.81)
If you're not aiming at high-speed 4K gaming, you can definitely get away with a cheaper DisplayPort cable. Here's Amazon's 6-foot long cable going for pretty much half the price of its DisplayPort 1.4 cable, and you can also pick up an extra long 10-foot one if you need that sort of length.

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Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI cable | 6 feet | 4K@60Hz | $7.66

Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI cable | 6 feet | 4K@60Hz | $7.66 $4.99 at Amazon (save $2.67)
While us PC gamers tend to favour the humble DisplayPort cable for our gaming monitors, there's definitely a good case to be made for a solid HDMI cable. If you need to hook up a console, for example. This Amazon Basics cable is simple yet effective, and offers a similar sort of bandwidth to the DisplayPort 1.2 cable above.

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Amazon Basics USB 2.0 Printer cable | Type-A to Type-B | 10 feet | $7.64

Amazon Basics USB 2.0 Printer cable | Type-A to Type-B | 10 feet | $7.64 $5.22 at Amazon (save $2.42)
A USB 2.0 cable might not be able to deliver the maximum bandwidth of all our devices nowadays, but as a cable run to an extra monitor hub it works a treat. Similarly, it's actually pretty good if you have a real-life printer a little further away from your machine. Remember those? This is a 10 foot cable, but would you believe there's a 16 foot option available on offer too.

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Amazon Basics digital optical audio cable | 6 feet | $6.98

Amazon Basics digital optical audio cable | 6 feet | $6.98 $5.05 at Amazon (save $1.93)
I recently purchased an optical cable to run from my PC to my discrete DAC. These cables offer a handy way to make that connection and keep the audio signal coming through crystal clear. Amazon's own Basics optical cable is pretty darn cheap now, and while it also comes in 9.8 feet, it's only the 6 foot version that's on offer.

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Amazon Basics RJ45 ethernet cable | Cat 6 | 1Gbps | 25 feet | $9.76

Amazon Basics RJ45 ethernet cable | Cat 6 | 1Gbps | 25 feet | $9.76 $6.71 at Amazon (save $3.05)
If you can, it's best to wire up your gaming PC for the optimal network connection. Wi-Fi is getting really good nowadays, but you have to have the latest routers and network adapters to make the most of the new technologies. Whereas any old PC will have access to super-fast internet with a cheap ethernet cable. This Cat 6 cable will run at up one gigabit speeds, so plenty for most PCs and the maximum speed for many network adapters, but you could look at Cat 7 cables if you need up to 10Gbps.

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Most of the above cables are now sitting at or close to their lowest price yet, according to the pricing history we're privy to. Maybe there's a few cents in it in favour of yesteryear's prices—2016 was a good year for cheap cables, for some reason.

Nevertheless, if you're working with tired cables or cable runs that only just reach (personal note: I hate when a cable is pulled tight like that), perhaps it's a good time to look into a longer, newer option. Just bear in mind these deals are exclusive to Prime members and expire at midnight tonight.

Jacob Ridley
Jacob Ridley
Senior Hardware Editor

Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, and would later go on to win command of the kit cupboard as hardware editor. Since then he's joined PC Gamer's top team as senior hardware editor, where he spends his days reporting on the latest developments in the technology and gaming industry. He also enjoys making short videos for TikTok and believes everyone reading this should go follow our account immediately.

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